After years of waiting and delays, Waverley Borough Council’s draft local plan, setting out planning intentions until 2032, has been published.

Housing needs and infrastructure capacity have been addressed in the borough council’s document, which sets out the approach to delivering at least 9,861 homes in the next 15 years - which is equivalent to at least 519 homes per year.

Several sites have been identified for new developments, including Dunsfold Aerodrome , with the new plan suggesting it is suitable for 2,600 homes, which is 800 more than is proposed in the current planning application for the site.

The document also highlights the need for making ‘selected releases of greenfield land around settlements’ to deliver around 2,300 homes.

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Waverley Local Plan 2016

Elizabeth Sims, head of planning at Waverley Borough Council said: “The focus of work on the new local plan has been to update the evidence of housing need, infrastructure capacity and the availability of land to develop the most appropriate strategy for the borough.

“The plan is still a draft document; however I am delighted that after years of hard work we are now in a position where we can start the democratic process.”

In order to provide "certainty of delivery" nine strategic housing and employments sites, which are expected to make way for around 4,450 homes over the whole plan period, have also been put forward.

The total includes building 2,600 new homes at the Dunsfold Aerodrome site which "will help to meet the identified housing need", with other sites earmarked in Cranleigh and Godalming.

Dunsfold Park's masterplan for 1,800 homes

The hefty document comes three years after the borough council last submitted a local plan for approval in October 2013, but it was withdrawn after a government inspector slammed it for only planning to build half the homes per year that were needed.

The failed document cost taxpayers more than £300,000.

In a break down of how the housing target will be met this time round, the new plan states from 2013 to 2016 it is anticipated 727 new homes will have been built.

Catteshall Lane (Image: Google Maps)

This means the estimated supply from existing planning permissions will total 2,579, the windfall estimate for sites of one to four houses is 450 and the estimate for sites of five or more dwellings is 550.

The documents states the new settlement at Dunsfold Aerodrome is expected to provide up to 2,600 new homes and other strategic allocations, which exclude those sites with a planning permission, in whole or part, as of 1 April 2016 will total 1,226.

Artist's impression of what the development at Dunsfold Park could look like

The rest of the homes suitable according to the Land Availability Assessment will be 1,729.